ADVENTURES OF AN OPEN-MIKER: MilkBoy Café in Bryn Mawr

The Web site for the award-winning alternative weekly, the Philadelphia City Paper.

options

ADVENTURES OF AN OPEN-MIKER: MilkBoy Café in Bryn Mawr

POSTED: Thursday, February 10, 2011, 4:00 PM

Huey and the Banjo.

When open-miking at a café rather than a bar, the open-miker must be careful: a cup of coffee is rough on the voice — and more significantly, rough on the nerves. This week, I visited MilkBoy Coffee in Bryn Mawr, a pleasant little place with a mean cup of hot cocoa. I figured, for the purposes of this article, that I should try the coffee, too, and I can recommend it to non-performers. But I regretted the caffeination when I got onstage: to add to my stage fright, there was no microphone to hide behind. It's a truly acoustic venue, with no sound system. Just the open miker and the audience — a challenge, but a worthwhile one in learning to relax onstage. The shop's walls were adorned with art for sale, including an excellent series showing animals wearing extremely specific clothing. One painting's full title was "Rooster in Waterproof Construction Boots." Next to it was "Kangaroo in Patriotic Headband." The room's coziness prompted a fair bit of chatting between audience members and performers, both onstage and off. The interaction was encouraged by an incredibly laid-back atmosphere as the host called performers to the stage. Sign-ups were officially at 6 p.m., an hour before the show started, but this week there were less than 10 people on the list. The host decided simply to cycle through it more than once, so we each played two songs and then had a chance to play another, if we so desired. The ratio between performers and listeners was about fifty-fifty — a healthy balance for these events. And the listeners listened hard: there was hardly any talking during performances. Between them, though, there was plenty. The host, Huey and the Banjo, opened the night with a rollicking original bluegrass tune built around a traditional blues structure. I was impressed: the song could easily have been a traditional tune about troubles with women, work, and drink. Next was Yashaswini Singh, a clear-voiced first-time performer who, descending from the stage, presented a cake to her friend and had the whole place singing "Happy Birthday." The highlight of the night, however, was Harrison, a fearless 9-year-old who whipped out note-for-note piano covers of "New York State of Mind" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water." I'd recommend Bryn Mawr's MilkBoy to those seeking their first public performance — if they don't need a mic in front of them for protection, like I do. The nitty-gritty for performers: Wednesdays, 6 p.m. (sign-ups), 7 p.m. (show), free entry, MilkBoy Coffee, 824 West Lancaster Ave., Bryn Mawr, 610-645-5269, milkboycoffee.com.

Posted by Matt Cantor @ 4:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

Comments (0)

Q&A with SHARI SOLANIS: "The goal isn't pornography"
SEXY TIME Q&A: I've never had an orgasm during sex with a man — and I'm 30!
NOW SEE THIS: Transit cop arrests marijuana activist for alleged disorderly conduct.
CONCERT REVIEW: Primus (3D & quadraphonic sound) @ The Tower 10/17
What we're trying to do this weekend
Q&A with Tony Goldwyn: "Life is gray, and relationships are, too"
ICEPACK ILLUSTRATED: Indian fare rules, Dunder Mifflin lives on, Tom Jones is a god
Bradley Cooper promises he's not an asshole
Q&A with Goon’s Seann William Scott
CITY PAPER WRITING CONTEST 2013: Send stories! Send poetry!

About this blog

Featuring everything from event roundups to concert reviews and sex talk, City Paper's Critical Mass is a space for off-the-wall coverage of Philly's A&E scene.

Follow Critical Mass editors Patrick Rapa and Emily Guendelsberger on Twitter:

@mission2denmark | @emilygee

Search this blog:

Topics:

Blog archives:

May
April
March

February
January

Past Archives: